.png&width=24&type=webp)
Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Ivy Champ Tigers Claim Both Individual Ivy Honors For 2nd Time In 3 Weeks
November 17, 2015 | Women's Volleyball
After leading the Princeton women's volleyball team to a dramatic share of its 15th Ivy League championship, junior outside Cara Mattaliano and freshman setter Claire Nussbaum have swept the Ivy League individual honors for the second time in the last three weeks.
Mattaliano, who also earned Suburban Transit/GoPrincetonTigers.com Athlete of the Week honors, led Princeton to its first Ivy League volleyball title in eight years with arguably the best performance of her All-Ivy League career. She produced the first 20-20 match of her All-Ivy career; her 21 kills tied an all-time best, while her 25 digs was second-most of her career. She added 12 kills and 14 digs one night earlier in a 3-0 win at Cornell.
“There was a fire in Cara's eyes Saturday night, where you knew she was going to take that match over,” head coach Sabrina King said. “She's been so strong over the last month, but she was spectacular Saturday night. Both her hitting and her defense were amazing, and I'm thrilled she has earned this honor again.”
Nussbaum claimed the Ivy League Rookie of the Week honor for the third time in four weeks, as her play has been an integral piece to this championship run. She had a career-best 55 assists in the win over Columbia, and she has averaged 12.54 assists per set during the Tigers' seven-match win streak. For the sake of comparison, the Ivy League leader in assists/set in conference play averages 10.57 assists per set.
“It was another great weekend for Claire, who has continued to improve throughout these pressure situations,” King said. “There were some nervous moments Saturday, but Claire remained calm and kept us on track.”
Princeton will return to the court Friday night at Harvard when it takes on the co-champion Crimson for the Ivy League's automatic berth to the NCAA Championships. The match, which will be streamed live free of charge on the Ivy League Digital Network, is scheduled to begin at 7 pm.